Life-boat.



J.' H. STOELT.

LIIIEI BOAT.

A APPLICATION FILED JULY 7, 1908.

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J. H. STOBLT.

LIFE BOAT. Prummel FILED :um 1, 100e.

Patented Apr. 27, 1909.

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J. lH. sToEL'r.V

'- LIFE BOAT.

APPLIOATION TILED JULY 7| 1908.

Patented Apr. 27,1909.

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JOHAN H.{STOELT, v.OFv SEBEWAING, MICHIGAN.'

No. 919,974. l

` Y speeieaeipa pf Letters Patent.

Patent-salarial 27, `190e.

To all whom 'it mag/concern: Y

`Be it vknown that I, Jol-IN H. STonLT, a citie zen of theUnited-States,` residing at Sebewaing, in the 4county of Huron andState-of Michigan, Yhave invented newfand useful Improvements inLife-Boats, of whichthefollowing is afspecification This'in'ventionrelates-to life boats, and has for its objectto produce'a safe, reliableand non-collapsibleA boatfof the classv described adapted to be drivenby al motor and either to be carried as al fart ofthe -equip' ment of asea-going vesse for` to be usedfby` 'life saving corps, the boat beingespecially adapted for the latter purpose. y y

With the above and other objects in view, thenature of which wil-l morefully appear as the description proceeds, the inventionconsists thenovelconstruction, combination and arrangement' of parts rasfhereinfully described, illustrated and claimed.

yIn the accompanying drawings z-Figu-re 1 is a plan view of the lifeboatembodying the present invention, showing one ofthe side extension boatsset in position for useand the other side extension-boatffolded. Fig. 2is a plan view of the boat on al1-enlarged scale omitting the `deck inorder to `illustrate `the'interior construction Fig. Sis aside elevationof theboat. fFig. 4 is a vertical fore and aft section through the rearend of the boat, showing a portion ofthe steering mechanism. Figp isamid-ship section.

Fig. v6 is a detaillongitudinal section through 'a portion of one of thebuoyant side-fenders. Fig. 7 is a verticalcross section Vthrough one ofthe foldingfside lextension-boats showing the meansfor holding' the sameextended.

Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail longitudinal section through one of thebumper rods. Y

In the Y preferred embodiment of the invention the hull 1 of the boat islong, narrow and deep or what is usually termed theJ cutter type inorder to lgive the requisite, stability and speed to the boat. The boatis equipped with twin screw p-ropellers arranged one at.

each sideas shown in Fig. 5, each of said pro"-k pellersbeingintheff-or'm-of as'pirals'crew as shown at 2.v `The propellers 2 arehungin suitable bearings Vat their `forward and rear endsand may begeared in any suitable -manner to a motor of any desired typesuch'gearing and motor not being illustrated asthey forni no part of the`present invention.

^ The form ofpropeller' shown and described however, willbe foundespeciallyeective- The 'hull is alsoequ'ipped with the usual rude der `3located at the stern Vand provided with `a rudder post' 4 which .extendsthroughthe counter of the `hull ,andV isrprovided `at its upperlend witha beveled gear wheel 5vwhich meshes with and 4is 4actuated-by anotherbeveled'gear vwheel -on the rear'end of a steer ing shaft J7 mounted insuitable bearings and provided with a-steeri-ng wheel fast thereon.

lin carrying out the presentinvention, the yhull Vof the boat iscompletely decked over as best illustrated-in Figs. 1 and 5, the deckbeing -peeked centrally as shown and slanting 'infopposite directionsfrom the center toward the sidesofgthe boat,-the major portions of thesides being described en straight parallel lines as shown .in'Fig Ltoprovide for the attachment theretoiof the folding side eXten sion boatshereinafter more `particularly described.' The hull is also divided intoa plurality of independent water tight compartments by means` ofbulkheadls 9, 10 and 11 While the deck-.above the several compartmentsthus formed is provided` with a corresponding numberof hatches 12vgiving-access tothe compartments andrenderingrthe same independentofeach other so that in .case one of said compartments shouldfbecomeflooded the others' will: be protected, Extending upward frornthedeclrat suitable-intervals vare rail 13 V.which preference extends entirelyaround the boat as shown in Fig. :1.

1.4 designates al turret `Vwhich as will be seen l by referenceto fFig.5 iswfrusto-conical in` shape for provided `with a slanting outer sur-`stanchions 13 which support a hand or'guard face tobetter'deflect thesea,the said turret i. i

beingl provided with any .desired number .of

Vdead lines 15 to enable the helfmsmanto make observationsinheitherdirection to assisthiminmanagin thelboat. Thetop or nmay-be Aopenftogive accessto the rear compartment over whichthe-turret is located.

roof ofthe turret .em' odies` a hatch 15 which n Extendingoutwardly insubstantially hori- .Zontal planesfrolnthe sides `andbow and stern oftheboat are bumper -rods:17A which are connected at@ their outer en-ds bybumper rails 18 forminga guar-dto. prevent damagetolthefboat'by'rcontact.with other vessels or mooring places. Each ofsaid rods: is ofthe .construction illustrated f in* detail in Fig.8:wherein itwill'beseen thatlthe outer section of the rod passes Athroughan Aopening A119,-in the side-.ofthe hull `and isi-provided with a head20 which operates against a spring 21 'arranged in a tubular ,section 22of the bumper rod. The section 22 is provided at its inner end with ahead 23 which slides in a tubular sectionv 24 containing another spring`25. InV like manner the section 24 is provided at its inner end with ahead 26 which bears against another spring 27 housed on the innermostsection 28 of the bumper rod. As many tubular telescopic sections vmaybe employed as may be found necessary side extension boat embodies theoppositely arranged side sections 30 and a pair of bottom sections 31which are hinged at their outer edges to the sides 30 and hinged inother inner edges to a keel 32. At the bow and stern, each folding sideextension boat is provided with triangular bottom sections 33 Vwhich arehinged to a keel section 34, the latter being hinged to the main gearsection as shown at 35 while the triangular bottom secj tions 33 arehinged to the main bottom sections 31 as shown at 36. The bow and sternof each folding side extension boat also comprises the triangular sidesections 37 which are hinged to the triangular bottom sections 33 andalso hinged to the side sections 30 as shown at 38. By means of theconstruction just described, each of the folding side extension boats isadapted to be folded from the position shown at one side of Figs. 1 and5 to the position shown at the opposite side and when in the latterposition said extension boats occupy but small space while they areextended and they not only accommodate a large number of persons butthey also V add materially to the ease, readiness and stability of theboat, as a whole.

The folding side extension boats are held extended by means of seats 39any number of which may be employed, the opposite ends of each seatbeing received between parallel cleats 40 on the sides of the boatswhile a tie rod 41 extends from an eye 42 on the seat to an eye 43 onthe keel as shown in Fig. 7, thus firmly anchoring the seat in place andpreventing any liability of the extension boat from accidentallycollapsing.

Each folding side extension boat has connected therewith a plurality ofstays 44 shown in Figs. 3 and 5 each of said stays being hinged to theside of the hull as shown at 4,5 while the outer end thereof is provided`with a tee-shaped head 46, the stay being adapted to slide through aneye or loop 47 adjacent to the outer lower angle or corner oftheextension boat. At one or more intermediate points, each stay 44 isjointed or provided with sections hinged together as shown at 48 toenable said stay to fold alongside of the folded extension boat as shownat the left hand of Fig. 5. The stays 44 effectk ively guard against theextension boats being turned away from the sides of the main hull andthis is further aided by the bou7 and stern connections 49 and 50respectively, said connections being preferably in the form of chains,each of which has one end con nected to the corresponding end of theextension boat while the other end is connected to the main hull asclearly shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The boat is further provided on oppositesides with buoyant fenders 51 extending practically the entire lengththereof each of said fenders being in the form of a hollow tube as shownin Fig. 6 containing a plurality of air-tight sections 52 eachcontaining air and each being independent of the other so that in caseone of said sections should become flooded the remaining sections willnot be affected. The fenders not only add to the buoyancy of the boat asa whole but also act in the capacity of fenders to prevent injury to thehull when the hull comes in contact with other hulls or obstacles. Theboat is also equipped with bow fenders 53 illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3,the same being hinged to the stem of the boat at 54 and havingrearwardly diverging sides conforming to the shear of the bow of theboat as shown in Fig. 1, the fender being held forward by means of oneor more cushioning springs 55 interposed between the stem of the boatand the stem of the fender. The bow fender 53 protects the stem of thehull and also will be found effective in rescuing persons from a wreckor grounded vessel.

ln addition to the usual rudder 3, l provide two series of emergencyrudders each series comprising a forward rudder 56 and a rear rudder 57.These rudders are preferably led into recesses in the keel as bestindicated in Fig. 3 and have posts 58 and 59 provided at their upperends with tillers 60 and 61. The forward tillers 6() comprise two armseach while the rear tillers comprise but a single arm. To operate theemergency rudders l provide two sets of treadles, each set comprising aright hand treadle 62 and a left hand treadle 63. Fromthe right handtreadle 62 a steering rope or cable 63 passes upward over a guide pulley64 to the rear end of the tiller arm 61 and from thence around otherpulleys 65 and 66 to the left hand treadle 63. From the right handtreadle 62 a steering rope or cable 67 extends around suitable guidepulleys to the forward arm of one of the forward tillers 60 while fromthe opposite arm of said tiller another back to the left hand treadle63. The hel msman sitting upon a seat 69 just over the treadles mayreadily depress one or the other of either pair of treadles and thus'swing the emergency rudders 56 and 57 outward and inward,correspondingly deflecting the course of the boat. The emergency ruddersare particularly Auseful incase of injury of the ordinary or main rudder3 and may also be used as an auxiliary to the rudder 3 when it isnecessary'to make unusually quick or abrupt turns in the boat.-

1. In a boat, the combination with the main hull, of folding sideextensions therefor arranged above the water line and each embodying aplurality of-liingedly connected bottom sections and side sections, anda keel to which the bottom sections are hingedly connected.

2. In a boat, the combination with the main hull, of folding sideextensions therefor, arranged at opposite'sides of the main hull andeach consisting of a plurality of fore and aft sections hinged together,and folding stays extending under said lextensions and connecting theouter portions thereof with the main hull.

3. In a boat, the combination with the" main hull, of folding sideextensions therefor located vat opposite sides thereof, each of saidextensions comprising a series of main fore and aft sections hingedlyconnected together, and pointed or triangular shaped bow and sternsections 'also hingedly connected together and to the main fore and aftsections.

4. In a boat, the -combination with the main hull, of bumper railsextending lengthwise thereof at 4opposite sides ofthe main hull, Vand aseries of bumper rods connected at their outer end to said bumper rail,at

`their inner ends to the main hull and each comprising a plurality ofspring pressed telescopic sections.

5. In a boat, the combination with the main hull, of a fender pivotallyconnected at its lower end to the bow stem of the hull and comprisingrearwardly diverging sides adapted to embrace the bow of the boat, andone or more cushioning springs interposed between the bow stem of theboat and bow fenders.

6. In a boat, the combination with the main hull, of folding sideextensions therefor connected to opposite sides of the hull and eachconsisting of a series of fore and aft sections connected liingedlytogether, and seats interposed between the side sectionsV of eachextensions therefor and provided lwith attaching means to hold said seatin place, said seats acting to hold the extensions open.

`7. In a boat, the combination of a main stern and rudder and thesteering connections therefor, va plurality of emergency rudders setinto opposite sides of the hull near the bow and stern, a plurality oftreadles foreach emergency rudder, and flexible connections attached toeach set of treadles and connected with the post of one of` theemergency rudders, whereby the emergency rudders may be controlledindependently of the main stern rudder.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature mpresence of two witnesses.

, l JOHN H. STOELT.

Witnesses:

i ELLA K. WINTER,

J. T. HADWIN.

